Christian Living

---

You may have read my short testimonial, “God’s Offered Grace Healed My Body and Soul”, and know that as a young man, I got myself addicted to heroin. I have no one to blame but myself. Certainly there have been plenty of people who have gone through similar things and far worse, but didn’t turn to drugs. It was my choice.

What I’m about to share with you is not an excuse. There were two major nagging beliefs that caused me to live in that ever present state of quiet desperation. Though I was loved, I didn’t feel that I was worthy to be loved. I didn’t spell it out that way in my head but it certainly showed itself in my lack of self-worth. Many of you know the drill; “I’m not smart enough.” I’m not good looking enough.” “I can tell these people don’t really like me.” Blah, blah, blah, the insanity goes on. I could have been lonely in a crowd of chatty, hand shaking, people.

The second tormenting belief was that my life had no real purpose. Yes, I still believed in God. The true factual based sciences give an abundance of evidence for His existence as creator or as the science community likes to refer to Him as that there intelligent designer ( very heartwarming). Hence, I believed in Him as the impersonal Mr. Creator who had sent His son to die for us. I know, “sent His son to die for us” and “the impersonal Mr. Creator” are not synonymous. However, when you’re in the middle of a mental maelstrom, logic is not your long suit. In my head, and it was the only head I had, I needed the answer as to why “Joe” is here. Many people approach this question in a detached philosophical manner. I however was not among the higher minded, I wanted to know the true reason for my existence.

The game changer in my life was when I went to that small home fellowship back in 1972. It was then and there that the reality of God “in the here and now” was made wonderfully plain to my eyes. I watched a young man with twisted limbs get healed right before my eyes. That sent me on a quest for truth. What was God’s word, the Bible, saying to me today? I began studying my Bible, attending fellowships with likeminded believers and availing myself to others’ ministries. I received enough knowledge of God’s word to trust Him for my deliverance from heroin addiction. I also began to see who God said I was. It certainly was an upgrade from my own perceptions. At that point in my life the question was plain - Who are you going with, your flesh or God? Can you say “no brainer?” I’m sure you can. I went with the smarter one, God.

The first great reality that began to permeate my heart was that I was beloved of God. He said it, so I was going to believe it. In the book of Romans God calls the Christians “His beloved”.

Romans 1:1, 6-7 KJV
Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.
Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:
To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The word saints is from the Greek word hagios meaning holy ones. Romans 3:10 tells us that, “There is none righteous, no not one”. No one earns the holy status. The only ones that are holy are those whom God has made holy.

Romans 3:23-24 KJV
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteous for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

The moment we confessed Jesus as our Lord and believed that God raised him from the dead; at that moment Jesus became our savoir. He became the propitiation, the payment for our sins. The judge’s gavel came down and we were declared not guilty. That’s what justification is talking about, being set free, legally, from the consequences of sin. Because our identification is in Jesus Christ, we are now God’s beloved.

Ephesians 1:6-7 KJV
To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved;
In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

Through the Beloved, Jesus Christ, we have become God’s beloved. Yes, we know from John 3:16 that God loves everyone. What then is the difference between God loving you, the fallen one and becoming His beloved? Real simple and wonderful - Fatherhood. God so loved that He gave His only begotten son so that anyone and everyone could become His child. What God has always wanted is one on one fellowship with each of His children.

Galatians 4:4-6 KJV
But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

The word, “Abba”, is an Aramaic word that means Daddy. That would be the closest translation in the English language. You see, our fellowship is a call to loving intimacy.
Colossians, a book written to and about Christians, tells us that Christ now dwells in us (Colossians 1:27 KJV). Jesus Christ is the legal and living means whereby God can and does dwell and work within us. God and His Son can now fellowship one on one with each of us. Our lives can now become a walk with the Father. If you have joined the family, making Jesus Christ your Lord, you too are now the Fathers “Beloved”. Nothing can top the active loving hand of the Father upon a life.
By the way, let me emphasize here, that this is not a temporary nor conditional matter. Nothing or no one is big enough to separate us from the Father’s heart which He has extended to us in Christ.

Romans 8:31, 35-36 KJV
What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us who can be against us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Do we get a yea and amen to that slaughter thing? I believe God would say, “You’d better not or I’ll give you such a wakeup pinch!”

Romans 8:37 KJV
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

You are God’s beloved, He has committed Himself to act on your behalf. God didn’t create the above conditions, they came with the fall of man and Satan’s dominion. Certainly we are in a spiritual battle, but God, through the blood of His Son, has made provision for victory in all evil situations. Because you are His beloved you can and should live as more than a conqueror through Him.

Being God’s beloved made a tremendous difference in the way I thought and lived. What I use to think about myself no longer held me bound. I saw that it was a lie. God has my picture in His wallet. In regards to others, sure, I wanted to be well spoken of, who doesn’t? But now how others assess me doesn’t define who I am.

I found out that what I needed wasn’t higher self-esteem. What I really needed to understand is what does God esteem? The world esteems, or values academic achievement, physical prowess, looks, wealth etc. Understand, I’m not against striving for excellence. As Christians, we should allow God to work in us, and to do our best. But never let what you do or fail to do define who you are. You are who God says you are. We don’t “do” to become. We “are” therefore we do. I don’t want to sound like Confucius, but that‘s the reality of it. It's God who has enabled us.

That being so, what about Christians who fall prey to the temptation of measuring themselves according to their “spiritual accomplishments”? Been there, done that, and threw the tee shirt in the trash. Come on, you know the drill: How often do you attend Church? How often do you read your Bible? How long do you pray? How much are you involved in ministering to others? Of themselves all these things are wonderful in the light of their “God given” purpose. However, God never intended any of them to be the means to earning His love. In fact it’s just the opposite, the more you see and understand God’s love for you the more you’ll love Him back, and learn to love others as well.

1 John 4:9 KJV
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

The second major problem in my heart had been “Why am I here?” And “What is my purpose?” Well, the truth of who God said I was, answered it in part. I was here to fellowship with God. As I spent time with Father God I began to see the realities of being His son upon earth. I was to trust Him for all things in my life. Saying yes to His “now promises” given in Christ brings glory to Him.

2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV
For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Amen is a word of Hebrew origin. It means true, firm, faithful. We are the ones who are to say the “Amen” to His promises given in Christ. As these spiritual realities become manifest in our lives it brings glory to the “One True God.” We are to live the “Amen” life style. That’s a grand purpose.
We are new creations in Christ Jesus, let’s put God’s goodness on display.

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

What does it mean to be “in Christ”? When you get born again, this is your new spiritual position, this is your new ID (identification). You are now legally identified with Christ’s crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension. Take a look at Romans 6:3-11 KJV and Ephesians 2:1-6 KJV. Our legal identification with Christ makes us free from sin and gives us new life to walk in. That’s why it’s called being born again.
This legal identification equips us to minister on Christ behalf. We have been enabled by God to grow in Christ like character as well as to minister supernaturally as Christ leads. Tell me that’s not a purpose that supersedes all others!

2 Corinthians 5:20a KJV
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ…

2Corinthians 3:4- 6 KJV
And such trust have we through we through Christ to God-ward:
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the sprit giveth life.

Here I was, at nineteen years old, hanging around my old haunt, a sea wall overlooking Long Island Sound from the Connecticut side. Lots of kids hung out there to get stoned on their drug of choice. The Lord had miraculously delivered me of heroin addiction with no withdrawals. I’d told anyone who would listen that God was a good God who had answered my prayer. The word had gotten around.

One night a guy, who had done some acid (LSD), started flipping out. He really was losing it. Two guys sitting on the sea wall told him to go see me. Now I don’t know if they sent him to my car out of spite or concern. Nonetheless, this guy, scared out of his drug induced wits, came over to my car asking for my help. I told him what God had done for me, and that God could help him. I began praying for him. As I finished praying he immediately came off his trip. He was astounded. He said “How in the "blank" did you do that?” Then he jumped out of my car and ran back down to the same two guys to tell them all about it.

What’s the moral of this story? Believe me when I tell you, at that point in my spiritual walk I wasn't a seasoned veteran, so I'm not tooting my own horn, but I am tooting a horn for God's goodness. You don’t have to know a lot to have God move on your behalf. What you do need to know is who God says He is (your Abba) and who He says you are (His beloved). I knew that I was beloved of God, and that He worked within me. If you are born again you are, and will always be, beloved of God. He desires to fellowship with each of us daily. We have been called to know Him as our Abba, and to minister His love. This is who we are, and this is what we do. Website - www.comewalkwiththefather.com Our e-book- "Come Walk With The Father"

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE